In her “State of the State” address last week, Governor Granholm announced her intention to eliminate the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries (HAL). What that will mean for Michigan libraries of all types is not yet clear and likely will not be for several weeks.

When the Governor issues her proposed budget, we will know if state aid to public libraries and the Library of Michigan are slated for cuts. We should know if the entire department will be folded in elsewhere in state government, if it will be divided, if it will be totally eliminated. Some federal money funnels to libraries through the Library of Michigan... how will that be handled? And what about the electronic databases provided to us with federal money through the Library of Michigan? How about MeLCat, the state wide catalog through which interlibrary loan is carried out?

There are many questions yet to be answered within the scope of an expected $400 million deficit for this state this budget year and $1 billion for next year. These library questions are just a few.

At KPL we continue to monitor state funding developments closely and look for economies in our operations. These are challenging times for everyone.

Do come visit soon, though. We are continuously adding new print and AV materials to our collections and offering programs for all ages.

In her “State of the State” address last week, Governor Granholm announced her intention to eliminate the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries (HAL). What that will mean for Michigan libraries of all types is not yet clear and likely will not be for several weeks.

When the Governor issues her proposed budget, we will know if state aid to public libraries and the Library of Michigan are slated for cuts. We should know if the entire department will be folded in elsewhere in state government, if it will be divided, if it will be totally eliminated. Some federal money funnels to libraries through the Library of Michigan... how will that be handled? And what about the electronic databases provided to us with federal money through the Library of Michigan? How about MeLCat, the state wide catalog through which interlibrary loan is carried out?

There are many questions yet to be answered within the scope of an expected $400 million deficit for this state this budget year and $1 billion for next year. These library questions are just a few.

At KPL we continue to monitor state funding developments closely and look for economies in our operations. These are challenging times for everyone.

Do come visit soon, though. We are continuously adding new print and AV materials to our collections and offering programs for all ages.